Sutherland shoots first-ever 59 in Champions Tour history

Kevin Sutherland chips his ball onto the green on the 18th hole after hitting into the woods during the second round of the Dick's Sporting Goods Open on Saturday. Sutherland shot 59 to set a Champions Tour scoring record.(Photo: KRISTOPHER RADDER / Press & Sun-Bulletin)

ENDICOTT, N.Y. — Kevin Sutherland acknowledged he had no idea where he stood on the leaderboard as he went about his round Saturday at the Dick's Sporting Goods Open.

He had more important things to worry about. Like Champions Tour history.

Sutherland shot a 59 Saturday at En-Joie Golf Course, becoming the first player in the 35-year history of the Champions Tour to do so and the seventh in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event.

Remarkably, it could have been even better. Sutherland finished his round with a bogey on the par-4 18th hole after hitting his tee shot into the trees, missing a 7-foot par putt that would have given him a 58.

"Amazing day," Sutherland said. "Who would have thought bogeying (18), you would still feel great about it? Obviously I played incredibly well; I drove the ball very well."

The previous Champions Tour record for the lowest 18-hole round was a 60, held by eight players. Al Geiberger, Stuart Appleby, Paul Goydos, David Duval, Chip Beck and Jim Furyk each have shot 59 on the PGA Tour.

Still, his 14-under total through 36 holes was good for the lead, one ahead of Steve Lowery and two clear of John Cook, though that seemed almost insignificant following a most incredible performance.

The Champions Tour rookie got it going early Saturday, playing his opening eight holes in 9-under par. He rolled in birdie putts of 10, 45, 2 and 30 feet on his first four holes before eagling the par-5 fifth when he hit his second shot within 6 feet.

"That's when I started thinking this could be a good day," Sutherland said.

After making a 15-footer for birdie on the 6th hole, Sutherland got what he said was his biggest break of the day on the par-3 seventh hole. He hit a 5-iron into the left bunker. Hitting from a downhill stance, Sutherland holed out from the bunker for birdie.

"I didn't think I could get it close without getting lucky," Sutherland said. "You need some margin of luck to shoot a score like 59. That's when you think this might be my day."

A two-putt birdie on the par-5 eighth followed, getting Sutherland to 9 under for the day. He made his first par of the day on No. 9, missing a 12-footer for birdie, but came back with birdies on 10 and 11 — the later from 45 feet — to get to 11 under for the round.

After three consecutive pars on holes 12-14, it appeared Sutherland might come up short in his bid for 59. But a pitching-wedge approach to within 10 feet on the difficult par-4 15th produced a birdie, getting him to 12 under.

Moments later, Sutherland drove the green on the 321-yard, par-4 16th hole. He two-putted for birdie from 35 feet, his second putt from about 3 feet sneaking inside the right edge to get to 13 under.

Kevin Sutherland shoots a Champions Tour record 59 on Saturday to take the lead at the Dick's Sporting Goods Open.
Matt Weinstein / staff video

"It wasn't my best putt of the day. I'll admit I was nervous," Sutherland said. "I needed to make that putt."

Sutherland gave himself some breathing room a hole later when his 6-iron tee shot on the par-3 17th nearly went in for an ace, settling about a foot away for a tap-in birdie that put him at 14 under.

That breathing room would be necessary after a wayward tee shot on 18. He hit a solid punch shot with an 8-iron to a few feet short of the green. After a poor first putt that rolled 7 feet, he missed the par putt.

"That was disappointing. I was hoping to lag it up close and knock it in," Sutherland said. "I felt like I hit a good (par) putt, I thought I made it."

The disappointment didn't last long, though, as he received warm applause from the gallery after tapping in for bogey. As he walked toward the scorer's area, Sutherland was greeted by at least a dozen Champions Tour players.

"I didn't expect that," Sutherland said of having his peers there to congratulate him. "It blew me away. It was emotional seeing those guys, the support you get out here."

Lowery, one shot behind co-leaders Cook and Olin Browne when the day began, stumbled out of the gate with a bogey on the par-4 second hole. But he rebounded with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 third hole, then rang up four consecutive birdies on holes 5-8 to get to 10 under.

Lowery added birdies on 10, 12 and 13. A three-putt bogey on the par-3 14th dropped Lowery to 12 under, but he drove the green on the par-4 16th, two-putting for birdie to get to 13 under and in good position heading into the final round.

"I knew with Kevin being out 9 under through eight holes, the course was giving up some birdies, so I knew I had to go low and go after it," Lowery said. "I didn't get off to the greatest start, bogeyed No. 2, but I hung in there and played solid."

Cook, who with Browne opened with a 65 on Friday, got off to a great start Saturday. He birdied the first and third holes, then made an eagle on the par-5 eighth to get to 11 under. However, Cook made one birdie the rest of the way, that on the par-4 10th, before finishing with seven consecutive pars.

"It was good for a while, and then I struggled on the back nine with my tee balls," Cook said. "If I struggle hitting tee balls, I struggle. So I need to be a little sharper off the tee (Sunday) and we'll try to run (Sutherland) down."

Alone in fourth place was Scott Hoch at 11 under after a second-round 64 that was the day's second-lowest round. Another shot back at 10 under were the trio of Browne, Bernhard Langer and John Riegger.